


Coming Home

by Small_Hobbit



Series: A Sentinel amongst the Spooks [2]
Category: Spooks | MI-5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels & Guides, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 12:53:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18800758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Adam (a guide) has brought Lucas (a distressed sentinel) to his home, and hopes this will beginning the healing process.





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> Written for LJ/DW Story Works 'Spring Cleaning' Challenge
> 
> Adam's spirit animal is a large black cat, Lucas' a small tabby cat

Adam had driven Lucas back to his house.  It had been a harrowing journey, Lucas had been shaking all the way, sometimes giving what sounded like a shriek of terror.  Adam had been forced to break their bond in order to concentrate on his driving, so he had no idea what in particular was triggering him. 

Adam had phoned Harry to tell him what he was doing.  Harry had advised against it, but Adam was insistent the important thing was to find somewhere Lucas felt safe, and his house was that place.

Once they had reached the house, Adam had opened the car door, but Lucas hadn’t moved.  Adam had tried to reach through to him, but his mind had been beaten back by what felt like a tangle of barbed wire swirling around.  Physical contact was out of the question, and Adam had been about to admit defeat and leave Lucas in the car, when Thomas had leapt up on his shoulder.

Slowly Lucas had got out of the car and followed Adam and Thomas inside.  Thomas had begun purring in Adam’s ear, and distantly Adam had sensed a very faint bond being established.  There was no sign of Martha, but the way Lucas was holding his arms across his chest, Adam had suspected the tabby cat was hiding there.

Now they were inside the house.  Adam carefully shut the front door, concerned Lucas might panic at being trapped, but he gave no indication of it.  Adam led the way upstairs to the bedrooms on the first floor.  His initial thought had been for Lucas to use the guest bedroom, but he’d not responded at all well to the room at the unit which had been deliberately designed so as to avoid stimulation.  The guest bedroom wasn’t quite as plain as that room, but the pale, soothing colours wouldn’t be much better.

Of the other bedrooms, one was Adam’s, one was Wes’ for when he wasn’t at boarding school, and the last one was used as a bit of a dumping ground.  It had a bed in it, two boxes of books, another box of mismatched crockery which had been relegated there when Adam had bought a new matching set, and a few other similar items.  Adam thought Lucas might possibly be able to use it.

Adam opened the door, looked at the dinosaur curtains and the duvet cover of zoo animals (Wes’ from when he was younger) and realised his mistake.  For someone who was already over-stimulated the riot of colour was totally inappropriate.

However, Lucas walked straight into the bedroom and sat on the bed.  Martha emerged and sat beside him.  Adam watched as Thomas padded into the bedroom after them, then he shook his head in surprise and went to join them.

Adam tentatively tried the bond.   _Make yourself at home_.

He almost jumped as the reply came through loud and clear.  _Thank you.  We will._

_I’ll get us some food.  Or would you prefer to eat up here?_

_For tonight, yes please._

Lucas stretched and gave an enormous yawn.

_You must be tired.  I’ll bring you something up on a tray and then leave you to get some sleep._

_Thank you._

Adam went downstairs and made some sandwiches.  He added various pieces of fruit to the tray, together with a packet of crisps and some chocolate biscuits.  He wasn’t sure what Lucas would want, so decided he’d offer him a variety to choose from.  As an afterthought he added two slices of slightly stale Madeira cake.

He took the tray upstairs and found Lucas had already undressed and got into bed.  He gave him the tray and wondered whether to wait while Lucas ate, but Thomas deliberately headed back down the stairs, so he followed him.

Half an hour later Adam returned to collect the tray.  Lucas was already fast asleep, having eaten half the sandwiches, a banana, most of the chocolate biscuits and both slices of cake.  Adam grinned; it was hardly a balanced diet, but at least he’d eaten something.

***

Adam woke the following morning to sounds of Lucas moving around downstairs.  He wondered whether he should go and find him, but Thomas remained sprawled out on top of his bed, so he decided against it.  For the moment, Adam was content to rely on Thomas to guide him as to how he should respond to Lucas; the connection between his spirit animal and Martha, Lucas’ spirit cat, was far more reliable than his own attempts.

Suddenly Thomas sat up, his short fur standing on end.  Adam leapt out of bed and ran downstairs.  He found Lucas staring at the washing machine.

_I can’t_.  Lucas’ message hit Adam with force.

_It’s okay.  I can do it._

Lucas nodded, turned and went upstairs.

As soon as he had gone, Adam looked inside the washing machine, to see Lucas had loaded the curtains and bedding into it.  Adam didn’t know why, but, if Lucas wanted it washing, he would make sure it was.  Once he had set the machine going, he looked round the kitchen and confirmed Lucas had had some breakfast.  So far, so good.

He needed to get dressed, so headed back upstairs.  When he reached the landing, he looked to the right.  Lucas’ bedroom door was open, and Adam could see the contents of the room had been sorted into piles, which were now in the middle of the room, rather than pushed against one wall.

“Hi!” Lucas said.

“Hi!” Adam replied.  He tried hard not to look surprised.  He really hadn’t expected Lucas to communicate verbally.

“Um, I was wondering …”  Lucas hesitated.

_You can use the bond if it’s easier._ Instantly, Adam sensed a wall going up and so responded out loud.  “Go on, what were you wondering?”

“If you’d mind if I cleaned this room.  It’s not that it’s dirty.  But I need to start cleaning my mind, and it might help if I physically cleaned at the same time.  Some people use a shower, but I, I can’t.”

“That’s fine by me.  Do you want me to help, or would you prefer to do it by yourself?”

“You can help if you like, so long as you don’t expect me to share my thoughts.  And if you could do the buckets of water for me?”

“No problem.  Let me get dressed and we can begin work.”

***

Later that day, Ros phoned Adam.  “How’s it going?” she asked.

“I’m knackered,” Adam groaned.

“Why, what’s happened?”  Adam could clearly hear alarm in Ros’ voice.

“It’s all right, don’t panic.  We’ve been spring cleaning the spare room, which is the one Lucas is using.  We’ve washed the walls, the ceiling, and the windows; washed and ironed the bedding and the curtains; and thoroughly hoovered the carpet.  We’ve thrown out a box worth of rubbish which had accumulated in there, and I’ve taken a further two boxes to the charity shop.”

“And how’s Lucas?”

“Fine.  Also shattered, but he’s taking a nap in his lovely clean bedroom.  What I can’t understand is how he seems perfectly happy in a room that has bright colours, when surely something quieter should be far less stimulating.”

Adam heard a second voice speaking quietly, and then Ros said, “Jo suggests it might be less of a contrast to what he’s been used to, so less of a shock.”

“Jo said that?  I didn’t realise you were at work.”

“We’re not.”

“Oh, then you and Jo …?”

“Yes, but don’t tell Harry.”

“I promise I won’t.  But you can tell Jo it didn’t stop there.  Lucas suggested one of the walls would look great with a rainbow painted on it.”

“What?  How did you react?”

“I said that was fine, if he wanted to do it.  We can buy some tester pots.”

“Just how long are you planning on having Lucas stay with you?”

“We-e-ll.  We’re establishing a really good bond …”

“And you’d prefer it if I didn’t mention it to Harry.”

“Something of that sort.”

 

 


End file.
